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TDOT Hwy 96 widening project set to get underway

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is scheduled to begin the widening of (SR) 96 at Veterans Parkway in early 2018.

Construction signs will be posted this month along with erosion control. Clearing operations are scheduled to begin the week of December 11-15, with bridge demolition over Overall Creek to begin in January 2018.

The TDOT road project will widen a small 0.365 section of State Route (SR) 96 between Overall Creek and Veterans Parkway to five lanes. The expected completion date is June 30, 2019.

The project was bid on October 6, 2017 and TDOT awarded the contract to Brown Builders, Inc. of Springfield, Tennessee www.brownbuilders.com based on the low bid of $4,789,837.00. A pre-construction meeting was held by TDOT on Nov. 27, 2017.

“We are eager to see this project to widen SR 96 to five lanes at Veterans Parkway get underway in 2018,” said Transportation Director Jim Kerr. “We realize that the narrowing from four to two lanes at that intersection has occasionally resulted in a backup of rush hour traffic near Overall Creek Elementary. Improving the stretch of highway has been a top priority.”

In February 2015, the Murfreesboro City Council approved agreements between the City of Murfreesboro, Swanson Developments, LP and TDOT for funding associated with the widening of State Route (SR) 96. The section of Hwy 96 was slated for widening to five lanes amid the development of a new Kroger on the northeast corner of SR 96 and Veterans Parkway. In December 2014, the Planning Commission approved a site plan for Kroger with a condition that the company was required to improve SR 96 to facilitate site access or contribute funding to an improvement project. Kroger deposited $500,000 to be applied to this improvement.

As part of the agreement, Swanson Developments, LP agreed to contribute $250,000 to TDOT towards reconstruction of SR 96 to a five-lane roadway between Overall Creek and Veterans Parkway, including reconstruction of the bridge over Overall Creek. No City funds will be required for the project.

This improvement project is listed in the City’s 2025 Major Thoroughfare Plan and is part of both TDOT’s and the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP).